Sankt Lambrecht Hiking - Slow Travel in Styria

Hiking in St. Lambrecht is enjoyment hiking

Hiking in and around Sankt Lambrecht is Slow Travel in Styria, as we like it. This is a holiday in Austria with hiking for slow travelers. We are neither summiteers nor hikers who absolutely have to reach the summit cross. When hiking, we are not looking for top athletic performance. On the contrary. We hate hiking uphill. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that we exhaust ourselves physically when hiking in the mountains. Something I've never enjoyed before. On the other hand, we want to enjoy nature. We like to be outside. Love the outdoors. Like flowers. Feel the wind on your skin. Sustainable vacation do. And we like to travel in beautiful landscapes.

But we want to experience this intensely. For this we need time and leisure. Every now and then places where we stop. Enjoy. Take a breath. Relax. We'd rather breathe the fresh mountain air with pleasure than pant it through our lungs to reach a certain goal. Hiking in Sankt Lambrecht in Austria is exactly to our taste.

 

 

For us, hiking means walk slowly. Look out for birds. Watch cornflowers in the wheat field as the wind moves them in waves. Rummage in old castles. Looking for places of strength where we like to take a longer break. Picnicking in beautiful places. These are experiences that we like to hike for. The goal is not important. If we don't reach it, we don't care. Instead, the moments along the way are important to us. The cows lying comfortably on the pasture. Who chew the grass in the afternoon heat that they plucked from the ground in the cool of the morning. Or the heron, who is looking for frogs from a post in the pond.

 

 

 

These are moments we are looking for on our hikes. Hiking in St. Lambrecht delivers that in excess. Here are two simple, short and leisurely hikes (or walks) where you can experience just that.

In Sankt Lambrecht, hike to the Dürnberger Moor in the Zirbitzkogel Grebenzen Nature Park

Although there are more difficult trails in this nature park, the path from Oberdorf to Dürnberger Moor is what we are looking for on our hikes. A pleasure hike. Cozy. With a gentle climb up the mountain. Always offering reasons that cause us to stop and marvel. Rather a walk than a hike. But varied enough that the time passes too fast on the relatively short distance of just under three kilometers.

 

 

We leave our car at the ice age island of Oberdorf. A sign forbids us to continue driving from here. The location is easy to find with the navigation device. We enter "Dürnberger Moor" and land exactly at this point. There are already a few cars in the grass along the way. Its owners are apparently also hiking in the Sankt Lambrecht region. We'll do the same to them and continue on foot from here.

Remains of the ice age

Before we reach the fork of the tar road, which leads us uphill in the direction of the moor, information boards tell us how it was created. The panels tell of Neanderthals and how they used to live in those regions. They lived in caves or tents of animal skins. They buried their dead. We have to say goodbye to the idea of ​​primitive premenaries here. For such habits indicate well-developed social structures.

 

 

They existed in a world that was alive with mammoths, woolly rhinos, steppe bisons, cave bears and giant deer. Of these we see nothing more on our hike. Instead, we encounter rolling hills and small lakes that can be remnants of the glacial past. Is it perhaps tears in which ice remains of the glaciers take longer to defrost and so eventually form these small pools? We do not know it. Instead of the giant mammals of the ice age, however, we discover herons and cattle, which make themselves comfortable on the lake shores.

The first pond, which bears the pragmatic name "Ochsenstallteich", indicates an ice age past. Similar to the bog that we will see later, it also begins to grow from the edges. At some point, it will form a bog where the water disappears and becomes land.

Hiking in the Dürnberger Moor near Sankt Lambrecht

The moor, which we reach after a detour over a meadow path and through a forest, looks quite different. Here the water is barely visible. Only when we look down from the boardwalk, we see the dense reed grass in the water. Without this bridge, we could not go further here without sinking.

 

 

Elena from Creativelena leads me through the dense vegetation, which also contains rare plants. Among them is the sticky sundew, which catches insects with its adhesives. However, I lack the knowledge to identify it. Instead, I listen to the wind blowing through the reeds.

There is a small "peninsula" that extends from the "mainland" into the moor. I stay on a bench there and let Petar and Elena continue to the lookout tower. This is only a few meters further. But so I can listen to the silence that prevails here. An experience that I will remember for a long time. When the two come back, we return to our car the same way.

What you should know for a hike to Dürnsteiner Moor:

Distance: 2,5 km in one direction
Height difference: about 65 m
Duration: about 45 min. in one direction
Directions from Sankt Lambrecht: in the direction of Marienhof. Before the railroad crossing turn right to Oberdorf / Marienhof. Do not let it irritate when the tarred road suddenly becomes a gravel road. You are still right. A sign on the side of the road indicates where you can leave the car. Just behind are the information boards about the ice age.

 

Map of Sankt Lambrecht and the surrounding area

 

In St. Lambrecht walk around the Benedictine monastery

Our second pleasure hiking tip is also short and leisurely. This time we start our hike in Sankt Lambrecht. Where the fountain splashes on the market square. We are on the way with Gudrun von Grebenzenfan and Elena from Creativelena. Gudrun works as a city and hiking guide in Sankt Lambrecht and the surrounding area. She shows us her city on a tour around the Benedictine monastery. We learn a lot of interesting things about the place and its surroundings. You can get a first overview of the tour in this video.

 

 

From the market square we look directly at the Benedictine abbey of St. Lambrecht, which dominates the market town of Sankt Lambrecht with its impressive building and the surrounding facilities. A few years ago we have there spent the night and get insights into monastic life, This time we are in Naturhotel Lambrechterhof in the middle of the village center. This is just a few steps from the starting point of our hike around the monastery.

 

 

What strikes us in Sankt Lambrecht is how beautifully the facades of the houses on the market square have been restored. The entire place looks as if it has a makeover behind it. Street cafés, a fountain in the marketplace and above all the well-kept facades along the main street give it an attractive appearance.

 

 

The Benedictine Abbey of Sankt Lambrecht - Sankt Lambrecht hiking

1076 had it built by the Carinthian Margrave Markwart von Eppenstein at this location. It has a varied history behind it. Fires destroyed it a couple of times. The buildings were rebuilt. During the Nazi era, it served as a satellite camp for various concentration camps. During this time, the monks retired to Mariazell. Since 1946 the pin is managed again by the Benedictine order. The monks manage the agricultural and forestry property of the monastery. So, for example, refers Erich Pucher, the chef in the Lambrechterhof, his game from the hunt of the pen. In the "school of existence" the monks offer spiritual and creative seminars and a management school. The monks also promote cultural tourism and offer accommodation for pilgrims and interested visitors.

Further information can be found here:

Benedictine monastery St. Lambrecht
Hauptstraße 1
8813 St. Lambrecht
info@stift-stlambrecht.at
T + 43 3585 / 2305 - 0

 

 

We enter the monastery courtyard through the impressive entrance portal. We're not going to look at the monastery building this time. You can get an impression of what there is to see in the monastery in our article about the monastery. Instead, we keep to the left and take a look at St. Peter's Church, which was closed for renovation on our last visit. It is not accessible because some of the art treasures on display in the side altars were stolen a few years ago. Only with a lot of luck would they be discovered and brought back to the monastery.

 

 

From St. Peter's Church, the path climbs the mountain, past former farm buildings. This is the only steep piece of the way. It leads along the old stone wall which separates the former castle of the Prior from the convent grounds. From the castle only the tower is left. This is not accessible.

 

 

In Sankt Lambrecht hike past the Mariazeller linden tree back to the monastery

It's hard to believe, but until a few years ago this building was still inhabited. It is now empty. We continue to the gatehouse. There we leave the monastery grounds. Through an archway we get to an ancient linden tree. This should be over 100 years old. Judging by the thickness of their tree trunk, this is entirely possible.

 

 

The way back to the monastery takes us over the Spitalbergweg. Since we already looked at the baroque garden on our last visit, this time we choose the path through the monastery cemetery.

 

 

It is just as interesting because here we see the oldest church in Sankt Lambrecht. A round church building. Unusual. However, it is not accessible. Right next to it there is also a section of the cemetery, separated by a wrought iron gate, in which the monks of the monastery are buried.

 

 

After a brief look at the collegiate church, we finally return through the collegiate courtyard to the market square in Sankt Lambrecht. However, we took our time walking around St. Lambrecht Abbey, enjoyed the views and took a leisurely look at the interesting places along the way. It took us a good hour to complete this walk. If you still want to spend time at the linden tree, you can also get one picnic take along. The bench under the linden tree is very inviting and also offers a beautiful view of the town. Or you can then enjoy an ice cream sundae in the ice cream parlor on the market square in Sankt Lambrecht. We had a lot of fun hiking through Sankt Lambrecht. Are you interested in it too?

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Travel Arrangements:

Parking at the airport

Here you can reserve your parking space at the airport.

How to reach us

For example, book yours here Arrival by plane, bus or train*. The nearest airport is in Klagenfurt (70 km). Sankt Lambrecht can also be easily reached by train (Marienhof station, 7 km away), bus (stop in front of the hotel) or car.

The most convenient way is definitely to travel by car. You can book a rental car here.

Accommodations:

We have a modernly equipped double room in the Lambrechterhof * stayed overnight with a view of Sankt Lambrecht. Further Accommodation in and around St. Lambrecht * You can also find it under this link.

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More tips for Trips to Savor and Slow Travel you can find under these links.

Source Sankt Lambrecht hiking: own research on site at the invitation of Ecolabel Austria and the Lambrechterhof. However, our opinion remains unaffected.

Text: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Photos: © Copyright Monika Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline
Video: © Copyright Petar Fuchs and TravelWorldOnline